Magic and Technology
This is a formal sub chapter title (pages 64-67) in GURPS Fantasy and consolidates ideas from various GURPS books. Magically Enhanced Technology One side of the 'Magic & Technology Coexisting' idea presented in GURPS Steampunk page 12. Among the ideas presented (and expanded on later) is Talent as Magic where "Superior ability to use a nonmagical skill can itself be an expression of magic." For example, a really well made sword can be sharper or well balanced. Improved Materials This can range from occurring in the natural environment ala orichalcum or Tolkien’s mithril, made by alchemy, or strengthened by enchantments or holy blessings. Power Sources Magic can replace other power sources either directly or indirectly; a fire elemental could heat water for a steam engine for example. Automata Magical creations or creatures can cause a huge leap forward in terms of understanding and technology. The knowledge of magical spirit could cause and Information Revolution centuries before it would have 'normally' happened. These spirits can also be the equivalent of an engine continually powering a machine. Biotech Spells can have a profound effect on the local environment if common enough. Per the example of Agrarian Magic just five spells (Bless Plants, Heal Plant, Predict Weather, Purify Earth, and Rain) known to a mage can, with the help of his fellow townspeople, ensure there is never a bad year and even allows the farmers to work less of the land. When Magic Becomes Technology Touched on in Metro of Madness (page 32) and Steampunk (page 13) This is effectively the converse of Clarke's Law (aka Niven's Law) where "Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology." If spells or enchanted items are common the TL is going to be hard to determine. In one area it may be on par with TL10 and in others not even to TL6. "Look at a number of commonly used spells, assign them to approximate TL equivalents, and see if these cluster around one or two TLs as usually defined; if so, use a rough equivalent TL in that range. If that doesn’t work, the TL concept may not fit the setting." It is advised that the GM should avoid assuming the setting will simply be 'just like TLx but with wizards'.GURPS Fantasy 66 Such settings are Divergent Technology due to their very nature though GURPS Fantasy uses the term Equivalent TL. Technological Enhanced Magic "Mages in a technological society may use various devices to enhance their own spellcasting or enchanting. The same may apply to other magical arts." Precision Instruments Greater precision can make anything magically related easier. Alchemy elixirs can be easier and/or faster to produce and spells can be less prone to failure. Industrial Magic Introduced in GURPS Technomancer this is magical enchantment done via the assembly line. In GURPS Technomancer the production line itself was a magic item that cost 10 times that to enchant whatever item it makes, multiplied by the square root of the number of mages who can work there. The line can produce an item in the course of one day per 10 energy points divided by the number of mages on the production line (up to line capacity). Example: A 25-mage production line makes four-man flying carpets. Cost to enchant it would be 2,400 (cost to enchant a four-man carpet) x 10 x 5 (square root of 25) = 120,000. At capacity this line could produce one carpet every 9.6 days or 10 carpets over the the course of 96 days. This changed in GURPS Fantasy where the energy cost is twice that of setting up a magical workspace to build a prototype item, or (number of prerequisite spells +1) x (800 energy points) and the line produces one copy of the prototype in (energy cost of enchantment/4) hours. As with the GURPS Technomancer line each mage can contribute 10 energy points per working day. Ideas not covered in the Magic and Technology subchapter Magic vs Technology (Technology vs Magic) Non magical technology and magic don't get along with each other or magic is fading causing the development of non magical technology as a replacement. It should be mentioned that the idea that Science and Magic are opposed to each other is nonsense as there were sciences that dealt with the supernatural and magic that eventually went ad hoc in their theories or fell apart when they encountered observations that could not be explained. These include astrology, Alchemy, and Thaumaturgy References * GURPS Steampunk 12 * GURPS Faerie 114 Category:Thaumatology Category:Setting Concepts Category:Technology